1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to control devices of automotive doors, and more particularly to control devices for controlling movement of an automotive pivoting door, such as a vertically pivoting back door or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Usually, wagon type motor vehicles and the like are equipped with openable back doors for facilitating loading and unloading work. Some of such doors are of a vertically pivoting type that pivots upward and downward about a rear end of a vehicle roof. However, due to inherent construction, during its pivoting, the rear end of the door becomes largely projected rearward. Thus, if the vehicle is parked in a limited area where only a small space is left behind the vehicle, the back door can not be fully opened. In this case, the work for loading and unloading has to be made with the door halfly opened. That is, the worker has to carry out the loading/unloading work awkwardly holding the door at such half-open position with his or her hand.
Japanese Utility Model Provisional Publication 6-71852 shows a vertically pivoting door that is driven by an electric drive unit. However, even this door fails to be stopped at a desired half-open position.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a control device of an automotive pivoting door, which can pivot the door between full-close and full-open positions by an electric power and can stop and hold the door at a desired half-open position by operating a door operating switch.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a control device of an automotive pivoting door, which can pivot the door upward or downward by an electric power once the door is manually pivoted upward or downward by a predetermined small angle.
According to the present invention, there is provided a control device for use in a motor vehicle having a pivoting door that pivots upward and downward. The control device comprises an electric drive unit for pivoting the pivoting door by an electric power; a door operation switch that permits the pivoting door to pivot between a full-close position and a full-open position with the aid of the electric drive unit when operated; a movement stopping means that stops and holds the pivoting door at a half-open position when operated; and a control unit for controlling said electric drive unit and the movement stopping means in accordance with an ON/OFF operation of the door operation switch.